Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Finn Has a Fit in THE PIT

My friend Beth at the best little bookstore I know, Cover to Cover on High Street in Columbus, put this one in my hands on my last visit. She knew how much I liked Necks Out for Adventure by Timothy Basil Ering and thought I might like this one too. Boy was she right, I LOVE IT! I have moved it right to the top of my Caldecott short list.

Finn is a toddler having a VERY bad day! Usually he is happy and likes peaches, but not on this day, on this day he is CRANKY! Something sets him off and we never really find out what it is. The kids, all ages, get this, it never fails, when the short read aloud is over, someone asks, "What was wrong with him, anyway!?" which leads to a discussion of little ones having temper tantrums for no apparent reason. Of course, none of them have ever done this, ohhhhhh, noooooo!

David Elliot's simple words that compare Finn's actions to various natural disasters, blizzards, floods, earthquakes, avalanches, match perfectly with Timothy Basil Ering's Weeble like Finn. I love the way that the pictures and words build together to a crescendo of a fit, and then, just like a real toddler tantrum calm, just like that. The really cool effect between the words an pictures is right at the height of the action, Finn calms on one page while right next to it his parents are still holding on for dear life. A perfect depiction of what happens when a toddler loses control for no obvious reason. I LOVE THIS BOOK!Every kid in THE PIT has laughed and commented on the pictures, it has been a fun week of read aloud. I would definitely add this to Franki's list of books I could read over and over and over.